Integrated optics (IO) chips have waveguides that typically must be coupled to optical fibers. Coupling to optical fibers is difficult because the fibers must be accurately aligned with the waveguides.
In order to provide passive coupling alignment between optical fibers and IO waveguides, IO chips may have V-grooves aligned collinearly with the waveguides. An optical fiber disposed in the V-groove is automatically aligned with the IO waveguide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,068 to Hakoun et al. discloses an IO chip having V-grooves for fiber alignment. In the device of Hakoun et al., the optical fibers must be placed in the V-grooves individually, a tedious task.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,961,683 and 5,557,695 disclose IO chips having V-grooves in a substrate underlying the waveguides. Fibers placed in the V-grooves are aligned with the waveguides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,059 to Kakii et al. discloses an optical connector having a V-groove chip that is only partially covered by a lid. Exposed V-grooves facilitate the insertion of optical fibers into the V-grooves between the chip and lid.
Individual placement of optical fibers in fiber aligment grooves is time consuming and tedious. It would be an advance in the art to provide a structure and method for placing simultaneously a large number of fibers in fiber alignment grooves.